Tarzan et la femme léopard

The Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan series continues at RKO with the fourth film (tenth overall, counting the MGM films). This one's pretty different from those that came before it. There's a different vibe to it, particularly in the early scenes where Tarzan acts as a sort of jungle detective. He's asked by a commissioner (of what I don't know) to look into a series of leopard attacks on travelers. Tarzan doesn't believe leopards are the cause of the attacks and, as you might have guessed by the title of this picture, he's right. So it's Tarzan versus leopard skin-wearing cultists, led by Queen Lea (Acquanetta).

I'm used to seeing Acquanetta in Universal films from around this time. They tried to make her a star in their horror stable but it didn't really work out. She's very attractive but not the strongest actress. This is arguably the best acting job of her short career, for what that's worth. Dennis Hoey is amusing as the commissioner. He's best known for playing Inspector Lastrade in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. Tommy Cook is very creepy as Kimba, the Leopard Boy. What a little psycho. Brenda Joyce appears as Jane for the second time and does a fine job, although she's nowhere near the presence Maureen O'Sullivan was in the role. Johnny Weissmuller and Johnny Sheffield are both good, as usual. Weissmuller's first scene has him wrestling hirsute Tongolo the Terrible, whose voice I strongly suspect was dubbed. Speaking of voices, Johnny Sheffield's voice continues to change. Puberty's rough on us all, Boy. Cheeta is still lots of fun, which I'm sure surprises no one.

It's one of the better Tarzan RKO films. Personally I like them all but you have some fans who think of the RKO films as nothing but kiddie stuff. Then you have the people who don't like any Tarzan movies, RKO or otherwise. I try my best to avoid people like that. If you can't enjoy the adventures of Tarzan and his family, you're probably not much fun to be around.

TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN is the most entertaining of the Tarzan films Weismuller made for RKO. Things were starting to get dreary at the RKO backlot jungle, and this film gave the series a boost. The story of a murderous cult who worship a leopard god, has the kind of plot found in the Tarzan comics I used to read as a kid. The plot seems to be in part based on a real life leopard worshiping murder cult, somewhat like the murderous Kali cult of 19th century India; this secret all male society terrorized East Africa until it was put down by the British. Acquenta is exotically gorgeous as the cults leader, Queen Lea.

So what if TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN is only escapist entertainment. If you highbrow types are looking for art, what are you doing watching a Tarzan movie anyway?

TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN (RKO Radio, 1946), directed by Kurt Neumann, brings forth Tarzan, the jungle lord, in another Saturday afternoon matinée adventure story.

The story opens with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), Jane (Brenda Joyce) and Boy (Johnny Sheffield), along with Cheetah, strolling through the village doing some afternoon shopping. Tarzan is seen having fun by wrestling with a strong man named Tall Bull the Terrible (Tor Johnson), while Cheetah watches a snake charmer and nearly getting bitten by one of the snakes. Then comes a wounded man riding on an elephant who soon succumbs from wound scars acquired by a leopard. Tarzan examines the dead man and tells the authorities that the man's death was not caused by a leopard, but by people dressed in leopard skins and iron claws. Aside from solving the mystery, Tarzan and his family find themselves in danger after taking in Kimba, a native boy (Tommy Cook), who not only happens to be the brother of the evil high priestess (Acquanetta) of the leopard tribe, but trouble to all those around him.

The supporting cast includes Edgar Barrier as Lazar; Dennis Hoey as The Commissioner; Anthony Caruso as Mongo; and Doris Lloyd as the Superintendress. Acquanetta, best known for her role as Paula, the Ape Woman in Universal's CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN (1943) and JUNGLE WOMAN (1944), makes a fine tribe leader this time around.

With the Tarzan movies being distributed in theaters on an annual basis, the writers attempt to come up with new and fresh ideas surrounding the old, familiar characters, headed by Weissmuller. Brenda Joyce returns as Jane for the second time, while the teenage Johnny Sheffield, outgrowing his part, appears to be a bit too old now to be called Boy. One scene in the shopping village finds young native girls giving Boy the eye, but Boy becomes bashful and passes up on them. The native tribes from the MGM movie days seem to have moved to another part of town, thus, being substituted by a jungle shopping mall. Another noticeable change finds Tarzan acquiring neighbors with each passing film, this time a Leopard tribe who don't seem to be the sorts to be calling on Tarzan and Jane at their treehouse for a cup of sugar this time around. For the first time since TARZAN'S SECRET TREASURE (MGM, 1941), Boy is able to bond with another lad close to his own age, but with friends like Kimba, who needs enemies? One highlight finds Boy in a fight to the finish with Kimba attempting to endanger Jane with a knife, with Boy subduing Kimba, having his hands tied behind his back and placing the little demon in a cage like a wild animal. As for Tarzan, he's captured by the leopard tribe and held captive by the priestess.

Not bad entry in the long running series, but by this time, the yarns are becoming routine and still quite watchable by fans of the series. Aside from commercial television revivals during the 1960s to 1980s, this and the other Tarzan adventures did enjoy frequent reruns on American Movie Classics (1997-2000) before moving to Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: June 11, 2011). TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN has been distributed to video cassette but did become part of the Tarzan/RKO package on DVD around 2009. Next in line: TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS (1947). (**1/2)

This Tarzan adventure is about a cult of leopard worshipers who are incited by one of their own to kill outsiders who want to civilize jungle inhabitants. An educated doctor plots the killing of neighboring tribes to make it look like the work of killer leopards. The killers attack other tribes and caravans as they travel through the jungle until Tarzan figures out that the killings are done by man instead of the big cats. The film has some good moments but the plot is rather silly and illustrates how this venerable series seemed to be winding down after many years of popularity with audiences. Johnny Weissmuller reprises his role as the fearless jungle man, with Brenda Joyce along as Jane. Johnny Sheffield and Cheta round out the usual cast of characters.

Local authorities are positive that leopards are responsible for a series of fatal attacks on caravans travelling the jungle route from Zambesi, but Tarzan remains unconvinced. The ape man is right, of course: the real culprits are fanatical members of a leopard cult, led by beautiful high priestess Lea (the gorgeous Acquanetta) and native doctor Ameer Lazar (Edgar Barrier), who are angry at civilisation for exploiting their resources and encroaching on their domain.

Meanwhile, Lea's younger brother Kimba (Tommy Cook), who is desperate to earn warrior status by presenting his tribe with a human heart, tricks his way into the Tarzan household and sets his murderous sights on Jane (Brenda Joyce)...

After a few not particularly impressive movies, its great to see the Weissmuller Tarzan series back on form at last with possibly the ape man's most satisfying adventure since Tarzan and His Mate: not only do we get an enjoyably silly premise, impossibly wicked villains, and an exciting finale, but we also see leopard men performing daft dance routines, Cheetah playing a flute and charming a rubber snake, Tarzan grappling with hairy wrestler Tongolo the Terrible (played by professional wrestler 'King Kong' Kashey), four pretty teachers almost eaten by crocodiles, and an exciting chase scene in which Tarzan prepares deadly booby traps for his pursuers.

A hugely entertaining slice of escapist jungle fun, I rate Tarzan and the Leopard Woman 7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.